Structural Engineer
Consultant
Anoka, Minnesota
President
R. L. Brockenbrough & Associates, Inc.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
During recent years, there has been increasing concern over noise generated by highway traffic in urban areas. Noise abatement programs have been implemented by many agencies. Source control methods have included the development of quieter pavements, quieter tire tread patterns, and speed restrictions. In some regions, noise levels have been reduced by depressing roadways or building tunnels, or by special designs of adjacent buildings. In many cases, however, noise reduction has been achieved through controlling the noise path by the design and construction of noise barriers. Sometimes referred to as sound barriers or noise walls, these longitudinal walls are built specifically to reduce traffic noise. In addition to their primary purpose, noise barriers are sometimes adopted to shield unsightly areas from the public and restore a feeling of visual privacy. A noise barrier project involves many areas including acoustical evaluations, consideration of aesthetics, cost evaluations, roadway safety design, structural design, foundation design, and construction.
This chapter includes information from the following sources: S. H. Godfrey and B. Storey, Highway Noise Barriers: 1994 Survey of Practice, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D. C., 1995; D. Byers, “Noise Wall Aesthetics: New Jersey Case Study,” presentation, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D. C., 1995; Guide on Evaluation and Abatement of Traffic Noise, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Washington, D. C., 1993; Guide Specifications for Structural Design of Sound Barriers, AASHTO, Washington, D. C., 1989, and Interim Revisions, 1992 and 2002; and Road Design Manual, Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008.
